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Obama and the Democrats Need a Jobs and Taxes Argument for National Recovery

Polls and all kinds of measures of the concerns of most ordinary Americans show very little concern about the federal deficit and spending. Americans want jobs and economic growth - and that is what they want D.C. to focus on. The tea Party and its sympathizers are colorful for TV, but they are only about a quarter of Americans at the most. Activists are about 12-15%. Their biggest impact is on frightened Republican officeholders and nominees, but in policy terms they stand for nothing clear besides deep generational and racial anxieties.

Rank-and-file tea partiers are not even opposed to the core of federal spending for defense, Medicare, and Social Security - many of them are living on these programs and believe they are entitled to them after lifetimes of work (as indeed they are)! Tea partiers may think the federal government is spending a lot on other things, but that is just ignorance (deliberately fed by Fox misinformation campaigns). Many of the grass roots tea partiers are going to be plenty surprised after Republicans take over again and hand out more tax breaks and subsidies to millionaires while gutting Social Security and Medicare.

The timidity of Democrats and the White House is killing them. All we have heard for months are articles about what they are "considering" or fighting about. Pollsters who have told them they should avoid nationalizing this election have given disastrously bad advice. Events in a country determine whether an election is nationalized or not - and the country is in a deep economic crisis that cuts to the heart of home equity and employment, the core of family security. Obama and the Democrats have long ago needed a national message - about jobs and national recovery, what they are fighting to do, and what right-wingers are obstructing.

Instead, they have tried to engage in preemptive concessions (Orszag, Emanuel) and run and hide - which only emboldens crazy right-wingers all the more - and leaves the media free to focus on colorful extremists and side issues.

History will record this as one of the most tragic moments for Democrats - and above all for this White House. In a severe and ongoing national economic crisis, for the President to hide and cower and dither is amazing. Obama needs new advisors, and he needs to find a backbone. He needs a national narrative, not just fingerpoint at scary tea partiers.

We are facing a turning point for effective democratic governance in the USA - and the tax cut decisions are really all that matters right now. The wealthy interests trying to knock out this White House understand that. Incredibly, Democrats seem to be on the verge of caving - or punting, which is the same - on tax cut extensions for millionaires and billionaires - giveaways of public resources that will ensure deep cuts in Social Security and all kinds of vital endeavors going forward.

Massive victories for rabidly pro-rich and government-hating Republicans will lead to years more of deadlock and further deterioration of governmental capacities - just as the United States faces intense competition on the international stage. It is a recipe for permanent national decline.

If Obama dithers through this, he will be a one term president - and much of what he seems already to have accomplished will be undone, including Affordable Care, which will not be repealed but will be eviscerated. He should be making it clear that he wants a vote now on tax cut extensions for the vast majority of Americans - because this will help recovery and do something for hard-hit millions - and at the same time he should tell the House and Senate that if they want to vote separately on tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, they can do it, but if that passes, he will veto it.

Democrats still have the ability to bring two separate bills to the floor - and they should do it. Obama
should not accept the cuts for millionaires and billionaires and he should tell all Americans why, loud and clear. This is both popular and the right thing to do for the country. If Obama made this declaration up front, it would support those in the House and Senate who are willing to oppose tax giveaways for the super-rich.

Democrats on taxes are trying to use a national interest issue as an ambiguous political wedge, trying to pretend to favor tax cuts for the middle class up until the November election, while quietly preparing to extend tax cuts for the rich, too (or in effect allow that by turning things over to Republicans). It will not work. It never works for a political party to seem to be playing politics rather than focusing on America's needs. And if they extend millionaire/billionaire tax cuts even temporarily, this is a sure sign that they have betrayed the national
interest and do not deserve to hold office. That is hard thing for someone with my political sympathies to say, but it is the truth.

If Democrats are blown out in this election after this kind of cowardly performance, Americans who want a stronger nation need to create an alternative vehicle for a muscular liberalism focused on national
greatness - with a prime focus on jobs for all Americans as the first goal. Tea Partiers have shown that they can dismantle and redirect the Republican Party. Meanwhile, soliciters for the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC keep
asking for money for - what? Beyond "reelect us," they never say. They fudge - while offering a constant media spectacle of indecision and retreat.

Umbrella Democratic Party organs should be bypassed after 2010 if Democratic leaders cannot take vigorous national interest positions. That includes Obama's so-called organization, Organizing for America, which has squandered its independent voice long ago. All it is is a puff-job group for Obama personally. The only thing besides giving money it has asked us to do is sign a birthday card for Obama. Ridiculous!

The time for a robust White House and Democratic national vision was months ago. Stop worrying about what some endangered marginal member facing defeat is saying about the need to imitate Republican positions;
stop worrying about "positioning" Obama for 2012. Say what the nation needs to do now and what you propose to do. Try authenticity and leadership that rises to the level of the crises the nation faces today. It may be too late, but it is worth a try.

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